emotional responses
The Divine Path Back To Unconditional Love
Recently, I was meditating on a deeply personal situation — one that stirred up waves of anger and resentment, even bordering on hatred and bitterness. Then I received an insight from spirit that stopped me in my tracks. It was one of those profound moments when time stands still and sacred truth illuminates your heart.
“Never forget the Golden Rule,” spirit said. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Do not do to others what you do not want done to you. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Suddenly I realized that the deeper truth of holding unconditional love in your heart. It’s a universal spiritual principle because it works both ways! You would never, ever want the same hatred or anger that you direct at others, to be directed at you.
Now let me be honest. My anger this time wasn’t just outward to others. It also turned inward. It was a growing dark, toxic presence in my heart and mind.
Life has been hard lately. Too many people I know have died far too young. Watching my beloved partner in a so-called “medical facility” that should not be allowed to take care of anyone, especially our elders. Almost losing him. Being emotionally and financially drained by someone I trusted. The exhausting noise of political chaos.
It has been one thing after another, piling up until I reached a boiling point. I began to ask the big, painful question: Why? Why all this suffering? Why now? Why me? And I wasn’t just angry at the world — I was angry at myself. Angry at Source, Spirit, God. Angry at the seeming cruelty of it all.
Trust Your Gut First, Your Heart Second
How do you know that what you are doing is for your highest good? How do you know if what you want out of life is based on your own desires, or if it has been placed there to be achieved by the Universe?
Everyone has a higher purpose in this lifetime and yet many never seek it out or achieve it because the ego starts to become more prominent in their lives instead of their higher self.
When you were born, a deep-seeded life calling was placed within you. As children, we were able to tap into it, always knowing that we wanted to be a fireman, a policeman, a doctor, an astronaut, an artist, a lawyer, a dancer, a scientist, or a princess. Some of us just wanted to help others, even at a very young age. We would be kind, caring, and giving to other people, whether they were children, adults, or seniors.
Unfortunately, this energy has been buried over time by the society and culture we live in – whether it be teachers, parents or mentors.
Has anyone ever laughed at you when you told them what you wanted to do or be? Did someone say, “Go back and think about that, because that will never happen”? Each of us has a different story as to why we do or do not achieve our passion and purpose in life.
Today is the day to decide, “I will achieve my dreams as long as they come from spirit and are for my highest good.
An Unforgettable Valentine’s Day With Venus In Pisces
Valentine’s Day always has an air of magic about it, but this year it has an extra layer of fateful intensity. The stuff of fairy tales and romance novels!
With Venus, the planet of love and beauty, currently transiting dreamy and ethereal Pisces, love takes on a soulful, almost otherworldly quality.
The energies of love and romance are heightened under this transit, making every interaction feel much deeper, more meaningful, more destiny and fate. Our love lives are infused with an unprecedented sense of compassion, emotional depth, and spiritual connection.
Romantic intuition is heightened during this time, and connections feel more like destiny than chance. The energy of attraction shifts from the physical to the ethereal, making love feel transcendent, poetic, and deeply moving.
Whether you’re in a relationship or meeting someone new, expect emotions and passion to run deep. Every new interaction will be special, every glance charged with meaning, and every intimate moment may feel like divine orchestration.
If you find yourself unexpectedly drawn to someone this Valentine’s Day, or in the coming weeks, trust that it’s not just coincidence. Venus in Pisces is busy weaving a tapestry of soul connections, heightened intuition, and chemistry that transcends the ordinary. This transit is a time when love is more than an experience — it is transcendental.
A word of caution, though. With the passion of Venus and dreamy nature of Pisces, it’s also important to stay grounded during this transit. The enchantment of Venus in Pisces can lead to unrealistic expectations or longing for unattainable love. If you find yourself caught up in a romantic fantasy or longing for an unavailable person, take a step back and get back in touch with reality.
The Mysterious Phenomenon Of Spiritual Chills
Chills and goosebumps are fascinating responses in the human body, rooted in biology and physiology, but also shrouded in mystery.
These physical reactions are mostly triggered by cold temperatures, strong emotions such as fear, excitement, or awe, or as part of the fight-or-flight response.
But not all instances of shivering, goosebumps, or the “heebie jeebies” are rooted in physical stimuli. Some occur for no apparent reason, suggesting a deeper, more metaphysical significance.
While science attributes shivers and goosebumps solely to primal survival mechanisms, a spiritual perspective offers another level of understanding – one that links these sensations to supernatural phenomena and spiritual encounters.
Goosebumps and shivers are ancient responses inherited from our primal ancestors. When our ancestors faced cold temperatures, their body hair stood up to trap heat and provide insulation.
Similarly, when threatened, their hair would stand up, making them appear larger and more intimidating to predators. We also see this response in the fur on our cats and dogs when they go into fight or flight mode. In humans, the function is just not as pronounced due to our sparse body hair, but the response persists.
This mechanism, called piloerection, causes the tiny muscles at the base of each hair follicle to contract, making the hair stand on end and creating the characteristic bumps we call goosebumps – so named because they resemble the skin of plucked poultry. This reaction is part of the body’s autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary responses.
How Will Saturn Return Impact Your Life?
Saturn return is typically a momentous, but intense time in everyone’s life. This significant astrological event occurs when the planet Saturn returns to the same position it occupied at the time of your birth, typically around the ages of 29, 58, and for some, 88.
It is the completion of a planetary cycle that marks a time of profound personal and spiritual growth, reinvention, and transformation. It’s a time when we may face challenges that force us to confront our deepest fears, limitations, and long-term plans, often pushing us toward greater self-awareness, personal growth, and spiritual maturity.
Known as the “taskmaster” of the zodiac, Saturn represents structure, discipline, responsibility, and life lessons. During a Saturn return, we are faced with the need to take stock of our lives, reevaluate our goals, and solidify our sense of purpose and direction.
Vettius Valens, a renowned astrologer of the ancient Greco-Roman era (c. 120 – c. 175 AD) whose work has greatly influenced modern interpretations of Saturn’s cycles, wrote in his Anthologies, “Saturn delays and restricts, but through patience and perseverance the soul achieves its growth and understanding.”
Any karmic lesson that you have not yet learned, any necessary life challenge that you have not faced, anything that you have avoided, denied or neglected is likely to surface at this time, demanding reconciliation, reevaluation or reckoning, whether you like it or not.
That is why I often tell my clients during a reading, “Learn this lesson and learn it now, while there is still time.” Avoidance, denial, procrastination, and self-deception will not save you from Saturn’s return bringing it right back to your door. In fact, it will only make it much worse and more difficult to resolve.
Our Saturn returns typically occur in three distinct phases during our lifetime, with approximate age ranges based on Saturn’s orbital cycle of about 29.5 years. Each Saturn return serves as a powerful milestone, helping you to develop a more authentic, grounded, and resilient sense of self as you move through the various phases of life.
How Mars Retrograde Impacts Your Love Life
From tonight until February 23, 2025, the astrological climate will be dominated by Mars Retrograde, a time when the assertive planet of passion, drive, and action appears to be moving backwards across the sky.
The Mars retrograde cycle occurs approximately every two years and creates a celestial atmosphere that challenges us to slow down, reflect, and reevaluate how we navigate the aspect of our lives impacted by a retreating Mars, especially love and relationships.
This time Mars will reverse through the bold sign of Leo until January 3, 2025, before retreating further into the emotional waters of Cancer until February 23. The shift from Leo to Cancer will bring a dynamic shift in how we experience passion, intimacy, and connection.
Mars retrograde typically signals a period of inward focus. The fiery, action-oriented energy of Mars is muted, forcing us to rethink how we assert ourselves and pursue our desires.
When Mars is in retrograde, direct action often feels less effective. Misunderstandings may arise, frustrations may simmer, and the usual outlets for passion or conflict resolution may not work as intended.
In the context of relationships, Mars retrograde tends to bring old wounds and unresolved issues to the surface. The next 79 days will be a time when hidden frustrations or imbalances within partnerships come to the surface. It’s not uncommon to experience tension during this time, as retrograde forces us to confront aspects of our love lives that we may have avoided.
Seeing The Spiritual Essence In Others
My world was turned upside down when my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For seven agonizing months in 2005, I became his caregiver, managing the extreme emotional and physical toll of his illness.
Even the hospice staff, experienced in end-of-life care, commented at the time that my father was not an easy patient to care for. Their observation confirmed my own feelings on the matter and highlighted the unique challenges of the difficult karmic relationship I had with my father.
Throughout this stressful time, I held out hope for a miracle. I felt compelled to seek guidance, but unfortunately Spirit revealed a timeline of six to twelve months. This devastated me at the time, but I’ve since come to accept that arrivals and departures are part of every soul’s journey. Spirit was simply confirming a poignant truth: at some point we are all called home to the spirit realm.
Despite his resistance to any form of treatment, my father allowed a trusted colleague of mine, a master in his healing modality, to visit our home weekly for body alignment sessions. These sessions became a turning point — not only for my father, but for me as well.
During their second session, my healer friend shared an observation that struck a deep chord. He sensed an immense amount of bitterness and resentment in my father, energies he had perceived without any prior knowledge of my father’s emotional state or life history. He then offered me a piece of wisdom that changed the way I viewed not only my father, but all of my relationships: “Try to see only the true spiritual essence that is your father.”